Alibaba's first earnings to test mettle, investor enthusiasm: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's (BABA.N) first full quarterly report card to Wall Street investors on Tuesday will be scrutinized by the hopeful seeking validation for lofty stock price targets and studied by the few skeptics searching for inauspicious signs.

Coming off Alibaba's record-breaking $25 billion IPO in September, the company's shares have remained 45 percent above their debut price. Just about every brokerage has rated the e-commerce giant a buy, taking comfort in the group's dominant position in a $450 billion Chinese market.(Reuters)

Apple plans investor call ahead of potential bond: Apple Inc. has its eye on the bond markets again, lining up a potential new deal that would likely build on a track record of blockbuster transactions. (The Wall Street Journal)

Microsoft to update Office for Mac next year; Mac Outlook gets refresh now: It has been some time since Microsoft had a new version of Office for Mac users. And while there is an upgrade in the works, it is going to be a while before it debuts.

A public test version of the new Office for Mac is due in the first half of next year, with the final release planned for the second half of the year. It will come as a free update for Office 365 or as a paid version for those who prefer not to get Office on a subscription basis. (Recode)